Customization and flexibility: The future workplace model
Adam Segal of cove sees the future workplace as a hub-and-spoke model, where the hub is the office space and someone’s home is a spoke.
As vaccine distribution expands across the country, employers are busy preparing their return-to-the-office strategies. But like so many other aspects of our world, office life has been fundamentally altered by the pandemic, and the workplace as we knew it is dead. Employers are re-thinking layouts and re-evaluating the need for in-person attendance in response to the popularity (and success) of remote work.
They must also consider what safety precautions will be needed for the modern workplace, one in which COVID may be less of a concern but future disease outbreaks are now a much more real possibility.
Related: Why US office demand is likely to slump 15% post-pandemic
Adam Segal, CEO of cove, recently shared his thoughts on what the future workplace will look like.
We’ve seen a major shift in how and where people are working today. Do you think people will ever fully return to a physical office space the way they were before the pandemic?
Working remotely has become the norm for nearly 50% of working Americans, which is a major shift from what happened pre-COVID. Now that companies—and employees, for that matter— have spent the last 11 months working remotely, organizations have had their eyes opened to the benefits. However, with the vaccine rollout underway, a safe office return is becoming a possibility, so companies are forced to decide whether they should continue with a remote-first environment, whether to go back to a primarily in-person setup, or if they should shift towards hybrid setups with a mix of in-person and remote working styles.
In the coming months and years, we’ll see a mix of people returning to an office, people staying remote full-time, and people working with a mix between the two. We will not return to the office the way we had been using it before. Instead, organizations will adapt their plans and strategies to meet this, both with regard to the expectations they outline for employees’ in-person attendance, as well as with how they are organizing and positioning the purpose of the physical office space.
If we don’t revert to pre-pandemic norms, how will companies justify the office space? What will its purpose be?
From the decisions that companies cove works with are making, we’ve seen that companies are reducing their physical square footage and simultaneously cutting down on the number of dedicated desks. This is a simple byproduct that if you work remotely, you will be in the office less and therefore have less need for a dedicated desk. This shift is leading to what can be described as a hub-and-spoke model, where the hub is the office space and someone’s home or apartment is a spoke.
Companies are now designing spaces that cater to this new style of work, which means they are not only designing for less dedicated desks but also constructing more spaces that are set up to foster collaboration so when people do come in, they can easily connect and work with others in an environment that makes it easy and natural.
The office is currently going through a major evolution. Now, it has the potential to be more valuable than ever before if it is redefined based on the concept of flexibility. In order to do that, offices must have a truly technology-driven user experience alongside a high level of service — features that a company and its employees cannot get at home. At cove, our focus is on bridging the gap between the traditional approach and modern demand by leveraging our technology platform and focusing on high touch experiences that will add value — not just space.
What should companies be looking for if considering a new office space?
Customization and flexibility in space is paramount. Any one solution, like all cubicles or all open space will no longer work. Businesses must find or create a space that mixes three key puzzle pieces—dedicated desks, private spaces and collaboration zones.
With dedicated desks, companies should feel free to move away from the concept of one desk for every employee given they don’t come in every day. This shift provides an opportunity to reduce square footage while more effectively repurposing space.
Private spaces are also key. Even when people come in for days focused on collaboration, they need space for distraction-free work time and calls. Small conference rooms and phone booths can be helpful to address this as well. Also, by layering in technology, companies can implement easy-to-use reservation systems to make sign-ups easy.
Finally, collaboration zones are important to create areas conducive to teamwork. The opportunity to collaborate is a key benefit of in-person work, and this must be supported by the office design. Companies must construct spaces where employees can be together both formally and informally, and can include conference rooms, breakout spaces, or other social areas.
Should companies set policies about being in-person? If so, how should they approach those policies?
There are many elements to keep in mind when planning towards an effective hybrid model; not only will physical setups change, but employee management strategies must be revised, too. Strong management boils down to three main parts — communication, expectations, and feedback. While these do not necessitate an in-person culture, they all require management training. HR teams and leaders make sure managers across all levels of an organization are able to successfully make the transition to hybrid environments, not only by providing technology to do so, but also by offering mentorship and guidance with a remote-first approach.
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